Negotiations have begun on the CHILL-ON project for the development and integration of innovative technologies to improve the safety, transparency and quality assurance of the chilled food supply chain
25 partners from around the world will take part in the project, the total value of which is about 15 million euros, of which about 10 million euros will be received as a grant from the sixth framework program. Half of this grant will be given to the six Israeli entities participating in the project.
The project, which is based on innovative technology in the field of food refrigeration by Crytech - a small company from Beer-Sheva, offers an impressive combination of partners from industry and academia. As part of the project, the development of innovative biosensors - under the responsibility of the Volcani Institute, the development of smart labels - based on the technology of the FreshPoint-TTI company from Tel Aviv, packaging solutions, electronic tools to assist management and decision-making support - under the responsibility of Afcon Israel, vehicle fleet management and information - under the responsibility of Motorola Israel and more. The Israeli consulting company OSM-DAN took part in the technological-scientific design of the project. Other partners in the project are the Universities of Puglia and Parma-Italy, the Agricultural University-China, the University of Kent and the Wessex Institute of Technology-England, the Institute of Physiology, Biochemistry and Animal Hygiene-Germany, the Agricultural University of Athens-Greece, the Fishery Laboratories-Iceland, as well as partners From Spain, Chile, Turkey, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
In September 2005, all project partners will meet in Israel for the purpose of preparing the group for negotiations with the European Union Commission.
The European Union is the second largest market in the world in the consumption of chilled and frozen food products, with an average annual consumption of 11 million tons. Following changes in consumption habits in Europe, this market is growing at over 10% per year, when issues of safety and product control within the food supply chain are of great importance to consumers. The enforcement of safety standards for chilled/frozen food products, in relation to all those involved in production, trade, logistics, distribution and especially in aspects related to supply, is a high priority, given that as of January 2005, European food legislation requires the possibility of monitoring all stages of the food chain. This legislation will also require the introduction of European control over the treatment of agricultural and food products.
Since more than 70% of food products are traded internationally, great complexity is created with regard to quality and safety management in the food chain. Currently, there is no integrated concept for chilled and frozen food, which allows for complete and continuous control of food safety and quality (alongside consideration of environmental issues), and monitoring of the supply chain in its entirety.
The overall approach of the CHILL-ON project will allow for in-depth research at all stages of the chilled food supply chain. This research will include the examination of the latest technologies, development of new technological concepts, examination of their validity and potential for improvement while focusing on the supervision, management and monitoring of the food chain as a whole, when the innovative technological approaches to the project are considered potential breakthroughs.
As the fish is in the third place in consumption in the European food market, and being the most sensitive commodity in terms of the possibility of food poisoning, the supply of cold and frozen fish was chosen to be the test case in this project.
According to Marcel Staun, CEO of ISERD, this multi-participant project, led by Israel, demonstrates the advantages of Israeli participation in the framework program both in terms of the centrality of Israeli companies and also in terms of the benefits that Israeli companies, large and small, derive from it given they have full access to the overall results of the projects in them They take part.
